Clarity
by ReadWriteLove715
Summary: Things have been rough for Alex Winston, but why wouldn't it be if you're in a tough place like New York City? She sure hasn't been seeing things clearly and when she befriends Peter Parker, she hopes he can change that. But instead of clearing Alex's mind, all he does is add more problems. Problems that are perilous, frightening, and could possibly end her life...Peter Parker/OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everybody! This is my first Spider-Man fanfic, so please go easy on me. It's a Peter Parker/OC and is set in TASM universe. If those categories aren't your type, then I suggest you not to read this. Please review as it would tell me if I should continue the story or not. I am already focused on my Walking Dead fanfic, so I _might_ go on with this story if I receive positive feedback.**

**Enough of my rambling and I hope you enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Marvel Studios nor do I own Spider-Man and its franchise.**

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_Clarity_

_Chapter 1_

If you lived in New York, then you have surely heard of Spider-Man; the heroic masked man in blue and red tights. And if you know people in this busy city, then you definitely heard of the many _irritating_ versions of how Spider-Man has saved them from their 'perilous' death.

Well, this is my story.

**~o~0~o~**

Night was slowly creeping like a blanket, a cool breeze coming in as I cuddled in my black sweater; searching for warmth. Although I've been born and raised in New York for seventeen years, I can't help but marvel at the bright, beautiful lights and skyscrapers. The rushing feeling that pumps in your veins when you walk in the crowded streets around a sea of people is exhilarating. You feel alive, and no other city can make you feel that way.

I was listening to music, the white earbuds blasting my ears as it blocked the menacing sounds and roars of taxis, buses, and cars. I was walking home, late from track practice. My mom sent me a text a few minutes ago to help her with dinner. Apparently, my relatives all the way from California were visiting and we had to be top-notch and flawless to them. So to arrive quicker, I took the shortcut - which was a dark alleyway - instead of the safe yet crowded streets of the city. Besides, I've passed through the alleyway millions of times before so I would be all right.

But I still couldn't prevent my escalating breaths and my heartbeat increasing rapidly as it hammered against my chest. I glanced to my left to see some people in hoods selling "the stuff". They couldn't care less about me, yet a guy with a scruffy beard and sandy hair eyed my purse. As in, the fake pink Coach purse I got in Chinatown. Making it obvious, he left his pack and started following me, right behind my heels. I hugged my purse closer to my chest as I quickened my pace; my neon purple sneakers blazing a bright neon trail against the rubble. Cool sweat began forming on my forehead and taking a shaky breath that burned as it pooled in my lungs, I broke out into a full-out run. The music that I was listening to was now a blurred sound; the cool wind stinging my rosy cheeks and strands of my long dark brown hair whipping around me. Just a few more blocks...

Suddenly, a great force collapses on me as I fell face first onto the cracked pavement, my iPod and headphones skidding across the floor. I instinctively placed my hand to my face as crimson blood began trickling down my nose; _crap_. I felt dizzy, my head pounding while my ears were ringing. Someone began dragging me by my feet and a groan escaped from my parted lips.

My eyes began to droop heavily before getting slammed against the brick wall, catching a glimpse of the sandy-haired man. His breaths were short and heavy—like a dog panting and the only scent I took in was the pungent smell of alcohol; it was so strong that I choked on it. He snatched my purse and rummaged through it. "Don't you have any money?" he scoffed before trashing it on the ground, the materials scattered amongst the now empty alleyway.

_No, I don't. Just a couple of bucks and ten dollar gift card to Starbucks_, I mentally replied. _Isn't that enough for you?!_

His stubby hands travelled down to the pocket of my jeans and I tried escaping though that proved to be a futile attempt. My screams were muffled as he wiped some of the blood off my face and clamped his hand over my mouth. I squirmed under his green cat-like eyes; they looked greedy. Hungry and vicious. He licked his cracked lips and bile rose to my throat as I heard his next words. "Not much cash, but your body'll do."

My head stopped spinning and I snapped back into reality. With narrowed, angry eyes I kicked his crotch and bit his index finger as he doubled over in pain. I then spit on him, his face stained with my blood and saliva. As I ran, I tripped on my shoe-laces and fell down. Again. I scoffed inwardly but it came out as a groan. _Typical._

The thug grabbed my ankles and I tried kicking, but reached to no avail. He turned me around and laid on top of me, roughly cupping my blood face. A sick smile crept across his lips. "Feisty. I dig that."

"Rot in hell," I spat, but of course it came out as a feeble whisper. The man chuckled dryly, a mischievous glint in his piercing eyes. I was on the verge of tears but blinked them away rapidly to prevent them from falling.

"Please," I whimpered, not caring that I was begging for him to spare me of the evil and sick plans he had for me. When it always came down to the last minutes of your life, you would always beg to be able to breathe and live another day. "Stop."

The man shook his head as his lips roughly collided with mine. My shrieks, my desperate pleas for help, my _cries_, go unnoticed. I can't even push him off of me; he's too heavy. And I'm too weak. Then all I see is red. Red, red, red.

_I'm gonna die, _I thought. _This is it_.

Miraculously, all the weight is lifted off of my shoulders and I exhale; not even realizing that I was holding my breath. My vision began clearing and I saw a person in a red and blue suit punch the thug. The thug landed on his bottom before scurrying away from me; from _him_. His eyes possessed so much fear that the devilish look he had earlier before was long gone.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?" said the man in blue and red spandex, his voice booming my ears. "No wonder why you're single!" he exclaimed, his tone possessing a type of amusement and cockiness I least expect in a hero. I noticed a spider etched on the back of the suit. My eyes widened at this discovery...no way...

The thug got up from his feeble position, his body shaking tremulously. Slowly, he got out a pistol from his dirty beige trench coat and aimed it at the spandex man. This only made the masked man guffaw as he shot webs from his wrist as it cocooned the gun. He effortlessly threw it at the thug's face with great force as the pistol then skidded on the ground. The sandy-haired man fell to his knees before slumping against the brick wall; appearing knocked out. The webs coming out of the masked man's wrist confirmed my assumption; he was Spider-Man.

I blinked owlishly at my rescuer as he approached me. "You okay?" he asked softly, his cocky demeanor dispelled quickly. "I won't hurt you."

Was I seeing things? "You didn't kill the guy did you?"

I mentally face palmed myself for asking such a bold and stupid question._ Of course he didn't _murder_ the thug! _screamed my mind.

This only made Spider-Man chuckle. "He's out cold, that's all. You okay?" he repeated, concern lacing his voice.

Sighing, I crawled my way to my purse and found that the handles were ripped apart. I grabbed my phone, which had a huge crack in the middle of the screen. I checked it to see there were hundreds of texts and missed calls from mom. Another sigh as I put the phone in the back pocket of my jeans. I wiped some dried blood off my face with the sleeve of my sweater and did my best not to hiss at the pain of the new purple bruise that was swelling my right cheek. Not very attractive then again why do I want to be in front of a masked man? Blasted hormones.

Anyway, referring to Spider-Man's question earlier before, I felt like crap. Worthless, stupid, trash, the list can go on. But my answer simply was:

"Never been better." Spider-Man extended his arm out to me and I grabbed his gloved hand, feeling the tight material of spandex envelope my small hand. Surprisingly, it felt safe to be in the sturdy but gentle grip of his. He swiftly hoisted me up as I released from his grasp. But his glassy yellow eye were still fixated on my hazel ones and it took all of my courage to not waver from his rather intimidating gaze.

"You really should get that nose checked."

"Thanks for the info, Captain Obvious," I said with an eye roll.

He shook his head and gasped dramatically as he feigned hurt. I swear, I could imagine the smirk plastered underneath that mask. "I thought I was Spider-Man!"

A small smile curled onto my lips although it came out as more of a grimace. "I thought so, too. Thanks Spidey."

He shrugged at the famous nickname New York called him, and I took notice of the many intricate webs designed onto his suit. The webs got closer as he approached me, our bodies inches apart. I had to look up to see his covered face instead of his muscled chest. "Do you want me to take you to a hospital? Or a trip home?"

I froze at the thought and I stared at the masked person. The idea of flying through the city with a hero who has his muscly arms wrapped around you was enticing. Again, blame my over-active teenage hormones.

For some reason, I then thought about the man who was hidden under that suit. The savior who helped the innocent human beings although he was possibly one himself; a normal person. He probably had a family, friends, work. A girlfriend.

A faint noise coming from my phone interrupts the awkward silence. I took it out from my jeans and frowned at who it is, feeling a crease appear between my eyebrows and on my forehead. Mother. I probably worried her to death, and that's the least I want to do to her. What would she think of my injuries? I better come up with a good excuse. I met his eyes again before shaking my head. "That might not be the best choice right now."

Spider-Man nodded but looked a bit taken aback; I was probably one of the first people who declined his offer. "I um...understand, um, what's your name?"

I bit my lip and hesitated. "Um..." Should I reveal my info to him, even though it's merely just a name?

"Your first name is Um?" teased my rescuer, playfully tilting his head to the left.

"No, it's my last." I smirked as he chuckled quietly at how quick I had gotten his little game. I started heading to the streets that headed home. With my back still turned to him, a small grin ghosted on my face as I said, "But really, the name's Alex. And thanks."

"Any time." I bit the inside of my cheek as I nervously made a decision. Although I was very late for dinner with the family, I wanted to see my 'rescuer' one last time. Just incase I never run into him again. Taking a deep breath, I slowly turned around, expecting the guy in blue and red tights.

But he was gone.

**~o~0~o~**

_Burger King or McDonalds?, _read the note as I shook my head at my best friend, Joshua; his blue orbs beaming its usual cheerfulness, though his long shoulder-lengthed blond hair obscured most of his eyes. We were just passing notes during AP Chemistry since we were bored to death. The lesson today consisted of reviews of covalent bonds for our midterms in two weeks from now. I ran a hand through my ponytail as I thought about the note for a moment. Only Joshua would think of such a question. But he wasn't your normal boy who played football and _manly_ sports. Let's just say he was more interested in men than women.

Coming up with a satisfied answer, I scribbled it on the crumbled piece of loose-leaf paper.

_Wendy's_.

When I passed the note back to him - who was to the left of me - he read it and rolled his eyes before raising a questioning eyebrow at me.

"What?" I whispered, a smirk plastered on my face. "I like the cashier there in 5th Ave. He's kinda cute."

Joshua giggled rather loudly at this and I joined in. It certainly wasn't the best choice as Mr. White, our chemistry teacher, whipped his head to the direction of the laughter; to _us_. Looking irritated, he ran a hand through his bald head and took off his round glasses before sighing. Putting them back on he stared right at us, his beady eyes sending icy daggers at Joshua and me. "Something funny Mr. Logan and Ms. Winston?"

Joshua ears went slightly pink as I shifted my gaze to the ground, taking a sudden interest in my battered converse. I hoped my long hair covered my face, which was bright red against my olive skin.

"Well?" he pressed, his polished black leather shoes tapping impatiently against the linoleum floor.

I cleared my dry throat before looking up at him and mumbled, "No sir."

His pointy, elfish ears inclined slightly to me as he approached our desk, which was right in the front of the classroom. "What was that?"

"She said no, Mr. White," defended Joshua as I sent a grateful, small grin towards him. Mr. White angrily huffed at this, glared disapprovingly at us, and strolled off to the front of the chalkboard before clearing his throat.

"As I was saying until interrupted by two pupils,"—he glanced at Joshua and me—"you all have a project to do and is due a week before midterms. The project will be 50% percent of your grade. You and a partner must construct a model of any atom and write a five page essay about its chemical properties, bonding, and so on. Quite easy, no? This project is a giveaway. Any questions?"

An Asian girl with short black hair, Emily I think, raised her hand immediately. "Can we choose our partners?" Everyone backed up on this and I glanced at Joshua; he was always my partner. Joshua smiled at me after nodding a yes. Mr. White noticed this and shook his head.

"No, I have assigned you with the person you will be working with." I frowned at this and bit back a groan while everyone else did the same. He went over to his small desk and grabbed his clipboard, which said every student's name. Then, he monotonously announced who would be with who as I felt my eyes droop with boredom. My thoughts surprisingly wandered to Spider-Man, who had rescued me over a week ago.

Subconsciously, I faintly touched my nose. Luckily, it wasn't broken and the only injuries were a bloody nose, some scratches and cuts, plus a small bruised cheek. The bruise was now gone, but it sure frightened my mother and relatives. I came up with the worst lie in history; I fell down the stairs. Somehow they believed me, but my mother still held her suspicions and skepticism about my story. I don't blame her.

Joshua ended up being assigned to Richard, a rather idiotic jock who was miraculously in this class. Fortunately, my best friend had a crush on Richard so he was content with what he had. I, on the other hand, was miserable. I had no other friends in this class and would be paired up with some stranger.

"Ms. Winston, your partner is Mr. Parker, who is in the back of the class. I'd be grateful to have such a brilliant person to work with." The teacher gave me a smug smile and I inhaled a deep breath; to calm myself down and prevent myself from slapping that smirk off his face. Instead, I sent a sickly-sweet smile at him.

"Why thank you Mr. White!" I exclaimed in an overly bright tone, clapping my hands happily in emphasis. "You are the best!" Not wanting to see his expression, I grabbed my sky blue tote bag which had my school supplies and trudged my way to the back of the white-walled classroom, looking at the only guy who had an empty seat next to him. This must be Peter. I've seen him before, but I never really met him. If I was right, he was a photographer and a friend of Flash. Remember, Midtown Science is quite a big school. Sighing, I slowly approached him.

"You Peter Piper?" I asked, extending a hand towards him. He shook it before chuckling, his chocolate brown eyes locking with mine. His mousy hair was disheveled and stuck out in many places, but he looked like those cute-nerdy type of guys.

"Parker," he corrected before opening the red chair for me. I raised an eyebrow at his kind manners but said nothing as I plopped right next to him. _Well, isn't he a gentleman_, I commented in my head while smiling at him.

"Right, sorry. I'm Alessandra but I go by Alex." I tilted my head slightly to the right and looked at him curiously. "Can I call you Pete?"

He shrugged and gave me a crooked smile—a smile that suited his personality. "I don't mind."

I nodded enthusiastically and raised my arms animatedly, recieving another laugh from him. "Okay then, Pete! Let's work on our stupid project! First things first, I have track practice everyday after school and it takes about one or two hours. So we can work on this during lunch or after five."

Peter nodded as his face looked pensive. "So, how about we work today at lunch? And maybe the atom we can do is Lithium or something simple like that. I'm quite busy myself."

"Sounds like a plan." We both exchanged small smiles and I continued, "You'll find me at lunch sitting in the middle table. If you can't find that, I'm sure I'll see you."

The bell then rang loudly as everyone got up and slammed their chairs against the desks, the pegs scratching the floors. Peter looked at me while putting on his backpack and adjusting his beige jacket. He sent me a small wave before leaving out the door. "See you then."

"Course," I muttered, although he probably didn't hear me. My next class was Spanish - a subject and language I sucked miserably at - and if I was late, Señora Rojas would kill me with another detention slip. Walking by Mr. White, who was sitting in his desk and writing a new lesson plan, I waved and said, "See you tomorrow Mr. White."

He sighed exasperatedly and looked up from from his writing to stare at me with his tired, small eyes. He lifted his glasses higher so it wasn't hanging from the point of his big nose. "Same to you, Ms. Winston. Now please get to your next class."

I did so, but even his depressing tone didn't tarnish my happiness. In a long time, I was actually leaving Chemistry with a big smile on my face.

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**A/N: What do you think? :3 Please review and let me know! Your reviews decide the fate of this story! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! I decided to continue the story and I hope you enjoy the roller coaster you are going to ride in. ;) Thanks for the reviews, alerts, favorites, etc!**

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_Clarity_

_Chapter 2_

If there's one thing I hate about lunch, it's the constant and loud noise. Sometimes I can't stand the rowdy freshmen that is the only other grade we seniors are with due to our schedule. Immature, insolent, crazy hooligans who—

I collided into a girl as I uttered out an 'oof'. Her lunch, which was a slice of pizza and soda spilled all over her blue, expensive-looking cashmere sweater. I gaped like a fish without water, my orbs practically falling out of my eye sockets. Suddenly, the cafeteria got deathly silent; every pair of eyes on us. Sure, _now_ the room gets quiet!

"Watch were you're going," scolded the blonde, her blue eyes narrowing furiously me. That was when I remembered her. She was in my English class. Gwen Stacy—the pretty and intelligent girl whose father, a police chief, died a few months ago.

She sighed and placed her lunch tray on a nearby table - as I did also - and she then looked at her sweater with a sad expression. "This was brand new."

"I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking and—"

"It's okay," she said softly, dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand. She seemed to have calmed down, her anger subsiding. At that moment, I instantly relaxed and felt my shoulders release some of its tension. Gwen gave me a small smile before taking something out of her purse. She waved it with her hand and laughed softly. I chuckled also as I saw what it was: a stain remover.

"Never leave home without it," she joked. Unlike me, she was way much neater and cleaner than I was. If she ever saw my room—the clothes and shoes trashed on the ground; my bed comforters all over the place except the bed; the piles of paper scattered everywhere; she would have a heart attack. You could call me messy, but I prefer lazy.

"I'm really sorry though." I averted from her gaze, feeling ashamed of my clumsiness. "I could buy you a new sweater if you'd like. Although it won't be as pretty as the first one." To be honest, I wasn't the richest nor poor. My family had been stuck right in the middle; the middle class. Though things have been rough since the incident...

No, I can't think about that. Not now. I bit the inside of my cheek until I felt the metallic, bitter taste of blood. Gwen didn't seem to notice my distress, which was a relief. Instead she replied to my offer.

"That won't be necessary. It's okay, the stain will go away. You're Alex, right?"

I nodded and smiled at her as she squinted her eyes and looked at me once again, recognition flickering her face. "Yeah, I think we are in the same English class. Aren't you the late bird?"

The silence around me subsided as it began its usual loudness and shouts. I smirked and chuckled at her question; I was infamously known for coming late to my classes. "Yes. It's just one of the services I provide."

Gwen laughed softly. "Although I would love to spend more time with you, I have to go to the bathroom and remove this." She pointed at the orange-brownish blob at the middle of her clothing and shook her head. "This stain is driving me crazy. See you later?"

"Sure. Good luck with bob the blob." She grinned at my remark and left. Gwen wasn't so bad; in fact, she was really nice.

"Hey," said someone quietly, interrupting my train of thoughts. I turned around and saw a tall boy fiddling with his vintage camera, avoiding my gaze.

"Hey Pete," I greeted and I furrowed my brows in confusion. His shoulders were very tense and when he met my eyes, he looked like he was in an awkward position. "Um, Parker...you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." His warm chocolate eyes told me otherwise as he continued to stutter his words. "Was that, were you, um." A nervous laugh. "Were you talking to Gwen?"

I nodded and looked at him warily. "Yeah, why do you ask?" I drawled cautiously.

"No reason," he replied quickly and stiffly. I felt more suspicion gnawing on me but I didn't press him any longer. Shaking my head, as if to drop the strange topic, I grabbed my lunch tray and ushered him to the table I usually ate. Already there was Joshua, who was alone and nibbling on his sandwich; listening to music. I sat across from him as Peter was to the right of me. When Joshua saw us (well, mostly Peter), his orbs widened while he took off his earbuds. He then wiped his mouth with a napkin and pointed his index finger at Parker's chest. "You."

Pete rose a questioning eyebrow in response. "Me?"

"Yes you!" Joshua then glanced at me and winked; a knowing smile on his face. "You are the first boy she's brought here in _months_. And you're pretty good-looking." My best friend wiggled his brows at Peter. My cheeks were burning a bright red and I groaned before facepalming.

I saw that Peter was in an uncomfortable position as he fiddled with his camera, a puzzled look on his face. "Well, um, thank you?"

I guffawed at this before playfully punching Joshua's arm. "This here is Peter. He's my partner and he's gonna help me with a project."

"Yeah, but he's still a boy," said a familiar voice and I whipped my head to the left to see my other two friends. Arielle sat down with a lunch tray in her hands as her boyfriend, Ryan, joined her but still had a protective arm snaking her waist.

"Fancy meeting you," I replied dryly yet a smile was curling onto my lips.

Arielle nodded and returned with a toothy grin before looking at Peter. "Hey, I'm Arielle, the gay is Joshua,"—Joshua smacked her head angrily—"and the straight guy is Ryan. My boyfriend."

"I can see that," said Peter as he chuckled.

Ryan glanced at me, trying his best not to smile and keep a composed look. But his blue eyes danced with mirth and mischievousness. I suppressed a groan; preparing for what he was about to say. "Is this Peter dude your boyfriend?"

I took a small bite of my pizza before rolling my eyes. They sure love torturing me, don't they?

"Fuck you, Ryan," I grumbled while I exchanged an apologetic and embarrassed glance with Peter. You shouldn't tease a grizzly, but I just did. Ryan was a six feet four wrestling guy with bulging muscles, short cropped blonde hair, and blue eyes that can turn you to stone in seconds. Never get into bad terms with Ryan or else you'll be sorry you ever did. The reason why he was even here was because he was dating Arielle, which has only been a month.

Ryan first blinked owlishly at me, still dazed at what I said. Then he narrowed his eyes at me, sending daggers, yet I froze instead of running. Arielle glanced between us and sighed ruefully. Joshua's mouth was a foot open, trying to speak but no words came out.

I closed my eyes, and sighed, waiting to be knocked out cold. But nothing came. I opened my eyes slowly. Instead of punching me right in the face, the grizzly's shoulders began shaking and he erupted into boisterous laughs. We all stared at him with surprised looks, Peter seeming the most shocked.

"Ha, fuck me?" cracked up Ryan, a single tear of joy rolling down his cheek. I don't know what was so amusing about my comment, but it was better than getting punched in the jaw. Cautiously, I joined in Ryan's laughter so he wouldn't feel left out. Joshua and Arielle did also yet Peter stood there; gazing at us with a curious expression.

Ryan swiftly planted a kiss on Arielle's cheek which were now flushing a baby pink. "Your friends are the best."

Arielle tucked her shiny and long raven hair behind her ears, smiling at us. "Who said they weren't?"

**~o~0~o~**

"Peter!" I whispered harshly at him, my eyes narrowed angrily. He only looked at me with a sheepish grin. "You said we would work at lunch!"

We were at the school library, planning on working here due to its serene and peaceful atmosphere. The librarian, Ms. Miller, didn't mind but now she looked at us now and then to see why we were bickering. If Peter and I can't find a 'solution', we won't have any place to do our project at all. I caught Ms. Miller peeking at us again, and sighed. Taking Peter's long and big hand, I half-dragged him behind the ebony bookshelves so we would be more hidden.

I turned around and folded my arms. "Why don't you want to work here?"

Peter cast a glance to the right and I followed it. At least even feet away from us was a blonde girl reading a book; seeming oblivious to our fighting. My eyes widened at _who_ the girl was.

Gwen.

I saw Peter wave a hand right in front of my face. It was Gwen. The reason why we can't do our project is because of a super sweet, neat bookworm. I shook my head.

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously when I gazed at him with a flabbergasted expression. "What is with you and her?"

He didn't need to say anything. It was his brown eyes that spoke a million words. They were filled with regret, sorrow, remorse. Pain. If I knew any better, Peter was in a relationship with this girl. And he really liked her.

But sometimes, love hurts. A lot.

"You're going to prevent working on _our_ project for some girl?"

Peter sent me an annoyed and irritated look. "She's more than _some girl_. Gwen's different than all of them. You included."

I shrugged and pretended not to be fazed by his last words although they did sting a bit. I sucked in a deep breath before sighing heavily. I've had two boyfriends in my seventeen years of life, but they were jerks. So I didn't mind if I bumped into them, and the feeling was mutual. I didn't go crazy and try to hid from them. But Peter and Gwen really had something, so it's presumable that he would care.

Suddenly, Gwen looked up from her novel and saw me; saw _him_. Her kind smile faded while her face fell. Their eyes locked and it turned into a dangerous stare down, I in the middle of it. I noticed that her shoulders tensed up as Peter tensed also; both of them a frightened stray cat ready to attack at any moment.

Gwen broke off from the staring and cleared her throat. As if nothing happened, she began reading her book again. But I heeded that her eyes weren't moving like they did when you read something. She probably had the same mutual feelings as Peter did for her.

"Peter," I said softly. The boy looked at me with an angry expression, his kind eyes now steely and cold as they darted to me. My gaze never wavered and he sighed frustratedly before running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that—"

"No need to explain," I interrupted quietly. His orbs were pleading, _begging_, me for us to go somewhere else. I bit my lip and thought for a moment, mulling it over. If the roles were switched, would he do the same for me? Would he even care?

And would I risk my AP chem grade just so this boy I barely knew can be happy?

Realization dawned on me; yes, I would. I stole a glance at Gwen to see her 'reading' the darn book. She caught me staring and I shook my head miserably. A small frown tugged my lips and I left the library with Peter right behind. I looked at the clock. Five minutes left.

Taking out a blue-inked pen and a small piece of paper from my notebook, I hastily scribbled my address and phone number before giving it to Peter. I received a confused look from him and I laughed at the expression. "That's where my apartment is. After I finish track, you can come over and we can work our project there. I promise that you won't see Gwen there. Though you will see my annoying brother."

We both laughed and he sent me a grateful and genuine smile. "Thanks Alex. See you at five?"

"Let's just hope we won't run into anymore ex-girlfriends," I joked as I playfully patted his shoulder. He laughed nervously and nodded.

"ALEX!" someone yelled and I tore away from the conversation with Peter to see Joshua with a pile of textbooks in one hand and waving at me with the other. Arielle and Ryan were right behind him, looking curiously at Peter and I. The once empty hallways of the high school were getting crowded, a sea of people forming.

I snorted at Joshua's over dramatic happiness but was elated to see him again. Biding a goodbye to Parker, I rushed to my classes.

**~o~0~o~**

"WINSTON, USE THOSE LEGS!"

I sighed at the screaming of my track coach. Sweat dripped down my forehead and I took in a deep breath before running faster. My legs felt like rubber but I didn't care; I love this sport.

The bitter freezing wind stung my rosy cheeks and I glanced to the left to see Arielle running beside me. She winked as she ran past me, her black ponytail bobbing up and down.

_Oh no she didn't_, I thought. Using every ounce of concentration, I slightly leaned in and forced my legs to glide more to run faster. Soon, I found myself right next to Arielle. Just a few more meters...

A dark-skinned girl passed Arielle and me as she crossed the finish line. I ended up second as Arielle was third.

Our track coach, Mrs. Peterson, a petite woman, crossed her arms. "Tomorrow I expect better! Good job Jones! Winston, what happened today? Practice tomorrow at regular time! Work those legs!" Mrs. Peterson wasn't a person of many words, especially when she was angry, so she huffed and left us.

I grabbed my bag and wore my black sweater. Using a towel, I wiped the sweat off my face and then guzzled my water. I caught a glimpse of Arielle who looked at me with her head tilted slightly. "What's up Ari?"

Her imploring green eyes seemed to bore into my soul, trying to search answers from my stoic expression. "You okay? That wasn't you running today."

I put my water bottle away and shrugged. "Tired. That's all."

She looked at me in a peculiar way but didn't press any longer. That was a characteristic that I loved about her; she didn't force you to spill every single detail. A simple answer was good enough for her. "Maybe you can relax by going to Starbucks? Ryan's gonna pick me up to head there in an hour."

I shook my head. "Can't, sorry. I gotta work with Peter for the project."

"I thought you were working during lunch?" she asked, confusion etched on her face. Her nimble fingers were running through her waist-length braid.

"Um, there were some...complications. He's supposed to go to my house in an hour or so."

Arielle's lip twitched into a grin. She stopped looking at me and moved her head to look at the bleachers. Then she began laughing rather loudly, which attracted the attention of the other athletes and downright confused me. "What's so funny?"

"I'm guessing Peter was a bit impatient," teased Arielle. I turned around and faced the bleachers to see my science partner sitting all the way in the back; waving at me.

My eyes widened. "Why is he here?"

Arielle stood beside me and planted her arms on her cocked hip. "Why are you asking me? All I know is that he's a cute, awkward nerd. Don't tell that to Ryan." She giggled after I rolled my eyes.

I bit back a sigh. "I'll see what he wants. _Maybe_ I'll go to Starbucks. Text you later?"

Arielle was already walking down to the exit. "You bet!" she shouted back. Taking a deep breath, I walked up the bleachers and approached Peter.

"Hi," he greeted as he stood up from his sitting position. I noticed he had a skateboard sticking out of the backpack he was strapped against.

"I can't believe you actually watched me practice. You following me?" I smirked as the boy blinked and tried coming up with an answer, his cheeks turning a bright red. And he wasn't blushing because of the cold weather.

"Well, I um...didn't watch the whole practice. Came here about five minutes ago since I had some..._errands_."

The way he said the last word made me a bit suspicious. "Errands?" I repeated.

He avoided my gaze and muttered, "Yeah," which made me even more skeptic.

"Sorry if I sounded nosy or anything," I hastily apologized. "I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," implied Peter. At first, I thought he was serious but he wore that crooked smile.

Still, those words were stuck to my head like glue. The way he said it only intrigued me more; wanting to discover his mysteries and secrets. He sure was a cryptic person...

I coughed to break the awkward silence that ensued and Peter tried changing the topic. "You're a pretty fast sprinter."

Laughing, I said, "I don't do the 200m or sprint like you call it. I do distance."

"Oh, ok. You're a pretty good distancer,"—I began laughing so hard at this while Peter correct tried correcting himself—"wait, what? I'm lost about this track thing. I'm sorry."

"S'kay," I responded, calming down from my giggles. "I'm a runner. That's all."

Parker only scratched the back of his head as he laughed nervously. He bit his lip and was in some sort of trance as he raised his old camera and positioned it towards me. At first, I was startled but then knew what he was doing. As I smiled brightly, he took the picture.

He looked at me bashfully. I noticed that his eyes said a lot, even though I've known Peter for only a day. I didn't even need to talk to him to know what he was thinking. Though sometimes, he mystified me and I had no idea what he was doing. Like now.

"Sorry if I surprised you with the picture thing. It's just that the lighting and everything is so perfect," he marveled and I tried not to laugh at his photography-savvy personality.

"Everything was perfect besides my hair," I teased as Peter and I started going down the bleachers to head to my house.

Peter gasped dramatically as he waved his arms animatedly. "Oh no! A bad hair day!"

I playfully smacked him with my tote messenger bag. "You're one to talk."

This only made him snort while he rolled his eyes. "My hair is _luscious_." He took out his skateboard and began riding it as I ran to catch up with him. It was so strange how we could be in an awkward situation and then go from being completely normal. Then again, Peter and I were strange people...

**~o~0~o~**

I fumbled with the keys as I unlocked the door to the apartment. I saw the sight of our small kitchen and living room. "Mom! Andrew! I'm home~!" I sang as I gestured Peter to enter. **  
**

Like I mentioned earlier, my house is rather cramped, filled with millions of furnishing and items all over the place. Kind of like your grandma's or elderly relative's house—this place was owned by my ceased grandparents before us so that explains a huge part of it. The walls of the living room were a light green though you wouldn't be able to see it because of the pictures of my family posted all over it. There was a red loveseat in the middle and right in front of it was the small television. In the left corner of the room there was a tall lamp, some flowers and plants, and a coat hanger right next to the entrance of the house.

I took Peter's green jacket and my black sweater and hung it on the coat hanger. I trotted over to the kitchen and shrugged off my bag on the wooden table. "Mom?" I called.

"Maybe she's at work?" suggested Peter. I nodded before running my fingers through my tangled hair.

"Probably. She works at a factory and doesn't come till nine or ten." I went to our small white refrigerator and found a sticky note.

**_Dear Alex & Andrew,_**

**_Coming home late (as usual) due to work. There's some leftover macaroni from yesterday in the fridge. I will be back soon. _**

**_P.S. Alex, tell Andrew to get off that damn Xcube 180 whatever. He needs to do his homework—and you do too! _**

**_Love you more!: MOM_**

I smiled faintly at the note mother left me. As I opened the fridge, I saw the huge bowl of plastic covered macaroni while licking my lips hungrily. I did run a lot...

_We have a guest_, chided my mind. So I asked Peter if he wanted anything to drink.

Instead of hearing his voice, I heard a squeakier one. "Who the heck is this?" I didn't even have to turn around to know who it is. Sighing, I grabbed two water bottles and closed the fridge only to be inches away from the young boy's face, his hazel eyes locking with mine.

"Andrew," I said in a grave tone. I noticed that there were large communicating headphones covering his ears and a controller in his small hand. He was probably playing with someone on the XBox. Boy, how Andrew was addicted to that game system.

"What?" he questioned, scrunching his nose and making his freckles more evident. "He's like, the only boy you've ever brought."

I scoffed at him and wished that I could cross my arms but I had two plastic bottles in my hands. "Joshua and Ryan come all the time. And you remember Mike."

"Yeah, but you broke up with Mike - who was awesome 'cause he knew what Assassin's Creed was- and Ryan is dating that pretty girl. And we all know that Joshua is secretly a girl." My brother smirked at me as I furiously threw a water bottle at him. "OW! Abusive much?!"

I glanced at Peter, who was stifling a laugh although his shoulders were shaking. I shook my head and glared at Andrew. "Well, this is Peter Parker. He's my science partner and we're working for a project."

Andrew nodded in acknowledgement at Peter as they both exchanged hands. "What's you favorite game?"

Peter blinked as he tried coming up with an answer. "Um, Arkham Asylum?" I sniggered at his 'favorite game' in which I received a half glare from him.

My brother shrugged at this. "Batman is pretty cool. But Spider-Man is the best."

Parker's wore a strange smirk and it broadened as amusement clouded his eyes. "You're a fan of Spider-Man?"

I groaned, unwillingly waiting for the upcoming rush of words that would spill from Andrew's mouth.

"I'm his number 1 fan!" he squealed, sounding far from a man. "I have a phone case of him, have posters of him, have a t-shirt that says 'Spider-Man is the best!' And oh my gosh—"

"Don't you have Spider-Man boxers?" I teased in which my thirteen year old brother turned as red as a tomato. "Wow, surprise, surprise. Joshua isn't the only _girl_ I know."

"Shut up," he muttered as he stalked off to his room. I chuckled softly while Peter erupted into a roar of laughter; he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"You better be doing your homework in there!" I yelled at my brother.

"WHATEVER!" he shouted back and I laughed even more. I loved him so much. Besides mother, he was the only other person I truly cared about. Even though I did love him, I'm going to take that Xbox and throw it out of our five-story window.

I diverted my attention to Peter, who had managed to calm down and was taking out his textbooks. He looked at me before chuckling again. "Sorry if I was rude. It was too funny."

"No need to apologize." I tossed a water bottle to him, though it was a bad throw and far off to where I wanted. Nonetheless, he still grabbed it with ease and I gaped at him, my eyes the size of golfballs.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired rather nervously as he took a sip of his water.

"Y-you just...H-how did you?" I cleared my throat after the stammering and took a seat by the table to begin again. "How the hell did you catch that? That's like, impossible!"

He flashed me a smile before writing something down in his notebook. "Cat-like reflexes."

"Sure," I deadpanned but looked at him curiously. "Then why don't you do sports?"

He shrugged as his eyes flickered mine. "Photography is my preference. So, what about our project? What do you want to do?"

I knew he was changing the subject (yet again) but didn't press on it. Peter was a secretive person, that's all. Besides, I've only known him for a day so I didn't have to know his whole life story.

Referring to his question, I smiled briefly and answered, "How about we do something that has one particle of unobtanium which has a nuclear reaction with the flux capacitor, carry the two, changing its atomic isotope into a radioactive spider?"

Peter looked at me like I had a thousand heads. He squinted his eyes and slightly tilted his head like a confused puppy. "Wait, huh?"

I would've laughed but instead I gasped dramatically. "No! It can't be!"

"Can't be what?" He sounded worried, genuine concern masking his orbs. Maybe I've been playing this joke for too long and should stop. Then again, I was never those type of girls...

"You haven't watched 21 Jump Street?!"

Peter blinked at me before saying, "Oh. That. Isn't that a book or something?"

"Parker!" I scolded but I was giggling inside. "Don't you have any fun in life?" I swore I heard him mutter, "You have no idea," but gently snatched his pen and took a piece of paper from his notebook.

"May I ask what you're doing?"

"Yup," I said, popping the _p_ as I shoved the paper to him.

"100 Top Movies Peter Parker Must See?" he read aloud before snorting.

"And the 100th is 21 Jump Street," I quipped. "And I have the DVD (how do you think I remembered that long line from the movie?) so we can watch it together with the rest of the gang."

"Sure," agreed Peter but sent me a look that reminded me so much of my mother. "But _after_ we do our project."

"Are you sure you don't want to do a project about radioactive spiders?" I smiled at him as his chocolate eyes widened comically.

"No thanks. And we have to to something with _atoms_." He seemed a bit...edgy after what I said but I shook it off. "Now, how about we do..."

Still, the thought was gnawing on me. What was with his changing behavior, especially with spiders? And his cat-like reflexes? This photographer was very mysterious and had caught my attention. I'll admit, I was curious. But those four words that Peter mentioned earlier still lingered in my mind. Something that would happen to me if I wasn't too careful.

_Curiosity killed the cat._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if it was long! If you prefer shorter chapters, let me know and I will try to do my best! **

**Thanks for the reviews, alerts, etc. and please review! If you do review, I'll update faster *wink wink* ;D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! Thank you for the kind reviews, the alerts, favorites, etc. You guys seriously make my day. :)**

**WARNING: This chapter slightly contains teenage drinking, partying, and some language. I repeat, this is a warning. I'm sorry if this upsets some readers.**

* * *

_Clarity_

_Chapter 3_

Saturdays were my favorite of the week; it was the day were you could actually relax. Sleep in for a few more hours; watch some television while you indulge and swallow junk food; be with your families and friends, all happy and carefree.

And my favorite thing about this Saturday? Flash's party.

"Earth to Alex," somebody called and I shook my head from my stupor to find Peter waving his hand right in front of my face. "You okay?"

I immediately closed my slightly gaped mouth and blinked owlishly at him. "Yeah, um. I was just...um...pondering. Yeah, that's what I was doing!"

Peter had a smirk plastered on his face. "Oh really? Were you pondering about the atom model we're supposed to construct?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment while I grumbled some incoherent things. "Aren't you the comedian..."

Parker gave a small playful laugh before shrugging. "I try." I half-glared at him before shaking my head. Sighing, I looked at our model, a huge yellow ball in the middle of the "shells" circling around it. We decided to do boron, simply because we (especially me) liked the way it sounds and it's simple to make.

"Almost there," I muttered as I added more items to the project.

I heard the dragging of footsteps coming to the kitchen we were in and turned my head to find mother in her robin egg uniform. She gave me a tired smile before yawning. Although she seemed exhausted from her factory work from yesterday, her blue eyes shone brightly at nine in the morning, ready for another day of transporting and manufacturing car parts.

"Mornin' sweetie," she sang in that soft singing voice of hers before heading to the refrigerator and getting out a carton of milk. She always wanted to be a singer and she had the talent for it. But I came along - as did Andrew - and soon she couldn't find the time and money to pursue her dream.

"Hey mom," I chirped before nervously glancing at Peter. His brown eyes widened comically; he never met my mother and since he wasn't that great with girls, I'm assuming it will be worse with her.

Mother then grabbed a bowl before pouring Cheerios and milk into it. She walked over to the kitchen table and placed her breakfast there, exactly where we were working.

"Mom, can you please eat somewhere else? I don't want soggy cereal all over the project."

She completely ignored me and eyed Peter with squinted orbs. He only responded with a shy smile. "Who's this?" I heard the protective and defensive tone she wore when she saw a stranger. Both of their shoulders tensed instantly and I sighed exasperatedly at this. I knew this was coming...

"This is Peter Parker. We're working on a project together that's due in a few days."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Winston," my partner added quietly before looking away from her intimidating gaze.

But soon her stony-face softened as she gave him a warm smile, her dark blue eyes beaming curiously. "Oh, you must be the boy Alex has been talking about for the past few days." At this, Peter looked at me with his signature smirk, trying to stifle a chuckle. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Mother, can you please eat anywhere else _but_ the kitchen? This thing"—I pointed at the boron model in emphasis—"means a lot to me."

She only snorted at this but stood up from her chair and moved to the living room, turning on the television before resuming her breakfast. "You're welcome!" she called out while I smiled faintly at her. Aside from the strict, stern mother figure, she was a kid at heart who loved to joke around with me and Andrew. She looked pretty young for her age (only 33) and many people confused us for sisters although we didn't look that similar; I look more like my..._father_. The age confusion irked mother a lot since she had me at the young age of sixteen. You could say I was her mistake; the set-back in her future. Sometimes that's what I see myself as yet she denies it.

As Parker and I continued our project, mom kept staring at us from the red loveseat. I made sure to keep a distance from Peter; she was freaking me out and I'm pretty sure it frightened Peter since he kept clearing his throat and nervously fiddling with the collar of his shirt.

This reminded me of the time when I brought over Mike, my ex-boyfriend. Everyone else, especially Joshua and Andrew, was fine with him. Everyone else but mother. Mom sent him icy daggers everytime until she finally warmed up...which was a day before he broke up with me...

"Alex?" A bit annoyed, I glanced up from the paper I was supposed to write and looked at my mother who took another spoonful of Cheerios.

"Yes?"

"Could you go grocery shopping later tonight? I might have to do double shifts."

I ran a hand through my messy bun, sighing heavily. Peter continued on gluing some parts to the model but he was probably listening to our conversation. "That might be a problem. I'm going to Flash's party."

She raised a brow at this. "Party? What party?"

"I told you about it a few days ago after you came from work."

Mom laughed dryly before saying, "You said those two words: after work." She elaborated more as she studied my confused expression. "I was probably exhausted when I said yes. And I don't like that Flash kid; he's so full of himself."

I shrugged. "Well, you gave me persmission so I'm still going. Everyone is going. He invited _all_ the seniors. Have you seen his house?" To be honest, I was exaggerating. Flash wasn't that generous to invite every single senior in Midtown Science but his house was huge.

Mom shifted her head to Peter, giving him that spooky stare once again. "Were you invited?"

Peter fumbled for his words as he nodded like a bobble head; I would've burst out laughing if it weren't for mother glaring at me also. "Um, yes. Y-yeah, I've been invited."

"And are you going?" she pressed. Peter's chocolate eyes widened to the size of golf balls as he mulled it over. I was pretty nervous as well: what was his answer?

Before he could say anything, a cellphone rang and mom sighed as she found out it was hers. "Reyes, what do you need?" After a few murmurs, she hanged up and looked at me. "Gonna be late for work. I'll see you soon."

"Can I go to the party?" I persisted. I know I was being annoying...but still...

At this mother hastily grabbed her purse and went to the kitchen to rinse the cereal bowl in the sink. She pursed her lips while contemplating. "Fine but you better not come here with the slightest scent of alcohol."

"I won't," I said but I knew that was a rule I had already broken.

"Tell Andrew to wake up, too. He's getting lazy lately and it's not even summer." With a sigh she headed for the door. Before leaving, she glanced at Peter and a ghost of a smile appeared on her face. "It was nice to meet you."

Peter gave her a crooked smile. "Same with you, Ms. Winston." And with that, she waved at me and left.

As soon as she was gone, I laughed so hard that my stomach began to hurt. I wasn't surprised if I awoke Andrew from his deep slumber. Peter scrunched his nose and he asked what was so funny but he probably knew.

"You're never going to my house when my mom's here," I managed to breathe out. I wiped a single tear of laughter from my eye. "Gosh, you are so awkward."

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment," he muttered and he looked a bit hurt. I gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder while our eyes locked. It was quiet like that for a long time until I decided to break the silence.

"I mean it in a good way." And I was serious; Peter had that kind of personality in which you could smile and laugh no matter how dire or bad of a situation you were in. Shaking my head, I changed the subject. "So, are you going to the party?"

Peter pursed his lips as he chose his next words carefully. "No...I'm too busy."

"Too busy?" I asked incredulously. I wondered how Flash would've responded to that. "Aren't you and Flash good friends or something like that?"

"_Something like that_," he mimicked me before chuckling dryly to which he received an eye roll from me. "We're on good terms. And yes, I'm busy. Plus, parties aren't really my...thing."

Man, this guy was mysterious. And strange, but his short answers only made me more curious. And very annoying. Nonetheless, I shrugged. "Alrighty then, but I'm still gonna look for you when I'm at Flash's house."

Peter had a small smirk playing on his lips. "Are you my stalker? I remember feeling like somebody was watching me when I was walking to your house earlier today. Should place a restraining order on you?"

I gasped dramatically, feigning shock. "Oh no! How'd you know?!"

"Lucky guess. Now let's finish our project."

We managed to put another ten minutes worth to our model and paper until I could no longer stand the loud volume of the television. Mom forgot to turn it off when she left and I didn't mind but now people were screaming and it was rather irritating. Was mother watching some horror movie?

"Let me turn off the TV," I murmured as I walked to the living room. Before I turned it off, I tuned in to what was happening. On the upper left corner of the screen, I saw a huge angry-looking man with a horn attached to his head attacking at screaming, scared civilians and buildings. He lifted cars effortlessly as he threw them everywhere. It was utter chaos. Whitney Chang, the asian newsreporter was LIVE in Central Park. She looked...worried—black eyes filled with fear.

"There have been many sightings and reports that a man with gray armor and a _horn_ has been terrorizing the city. He has attacked nightclubs, parties, parks, anyplace where there are people. Which is..._everywhere_." She tried keeping a composed and professionalized stature but you could hear the sigh as she announced the news. "He calls himself the Rhino. Many people are injured due to the wreckage and destruction he has caused. Fortunately, there have been no deaths. But many people are asking: where is Spider-Man?"

I turned off the television, turning around to gape at Peter. Just when everything seemed to be calming down since the Lizard incident...a guy who thinks he some rhinoceros creates havoc in our city. And although I was safe in my apartment, a horrible feeling consumed me as a huge pit formed in my stomach. I was scared.

Peter looked nervous and I was surprised to see him right in front of me in a matter of seconds, his backpack in tow. "I have to go. My aunt called and wants me home."

"I-I," was all I stuttered, still shocked. I shook my head, escaping from my trance and worry thick in my eyes. "Be careful. That Rhino guy..." I whispered.

"See you later," he said briskly after nodding. He rushed to the door and opened it. With his back still turned, he said, "Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you promise me that you'll stay here and not go to Flash's party?"

I froze in my spot, my shoulders tensing. Why would he want me to do that? I wish I could've seen his face to see what he was thinking about yet the position he prevented that. Sighing, I crossed my arms; a weird sensation coursing in my veins. "I can't. Unless you want a broken promise."

Peter scoffed. "At least I tried."

The door slammed shut.

**~o~0~o~**

The car horn honked from outside and I looked out my window to see that familiar black Honda Civic parked out front of my apartment. Smiling, I rushed to the vanity in my room and looked at my reflection. I donned a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, ankle-high combat boots and a white shirt with a black leather jacket over it. My dark brown wavy hair was straightened and I wore smokey makeup, resulting in my hazel eyes popping out more. Feeling satisfied, I said goodbye to Andrew and walked out of the apartment with my purse.

After flying down the five flights of stairs - I was too giddy to take the elevator - I entered the car and sat in the backseat; smiling at the couple in the front. "Thanks Ryan for picking me up."

He shrugged and I noticed he wore his famous wrestling letterman jacket; he had that with him everywhere he went. His eyes met mine through the rearview mirror and he grinned before roaring the engine to life to start driving again. "No problem."

Ryan was the only person out of all of us who had a car. Arielle, Joshua, and I used the subway, bus, or walked. There really was no point in using a car in New York City, in my opinion.

Arielle turned around before picking out a small piece of string from her green striped tee. A frown tugged at her lips. "Where's Peter?"

"Not coming."

"Wasn't invited?" Ryan broke in.

I shook my head. "Didn't want to go."

A moment of silence ensued, Arielle and Ryan taking in what I just said. "Really?" they both asked, shock evident in their voice.

"Yup," I replied, popping the _p_.

"That kid is odd," muttered Ryan, to which I dangerously glared at him and Arielle thumped his head. "What?! It's true and both of you know it..."

I only huffed angrily; he didn't have to talk that way. It was plain rude. And at the same time, my thoughts wandered to Peter including the last words he said before leaving. Why was he so worried about me going to the party?

The car ride was silent like that until we picked up Joshua, who was rambling all about the upcoming party. His long blonde hair was gelled back and it actually looked nice. I could see his eyes better.

After buzzing through the traffic and city, we ended up in the more suburb area of New York and parked right in front of Flash's beautiful house. I took a few minutes to take it all in. It was a big white one with huge windows and columns in the beginning of the entrance. The yard was filled with dead flowers since it was winter but I assumed that they would bloom in a few more months. As soon as got out of the vehicle, I raced to the door, Joshua cursing at me for running.

I was the first one to ring the doorbell. The wooden door opened to reveal a grinning Flash. He wiggled his eyebrows at me in his flirtatious way that made me scoff. "Hey babe. Looking good."

If there was one thing I hated about Eugene "Flash" it was his flirty, big mouth and when he always called me babe. It aggravated me deeply yet Arielle, who had dated him for less than a week, said not to take him so seriously. I didn't but still...I wished he would stop calling me babe.

"Is the rest of the crew coming?"

"In a few minutes. They're turtles." Flash guffawed and let me in as I gaped at the living room. I've been to his house before but it seemed to amaze me even more every time I came.

A bright chandelier was hung with its small light bulbs shining radiantly. Many people were already there in the big, white-walled room; some were talking or dancing to the loud music blaring through the stereos. I noticed that others were in the backyard playing basketball or football. The party had just begun...

During the first few minutes, I was with my friends, hanging out with them and staying closely. Later on, Arielle and Ryan went outside while Joshua tried some of the food on the table displayed in the kitchen; so from there I drifted off. I mingled and talked with some of my old friends as I listened to the music. And I'll admit it, once in a while I scoured through the huge crowds of high schoolers to see if I found a certain tall boy with crazy brown hair but came up empty. Flash kept asking for Peter as well, but I replied by saying, "He was too busy." At this, Flash's nostrils flared angrily as a frown marked his features and he mumbled some bad things about Parker, to which I yelled at him.

"Why do you even stand up for him?" inquired the green eyed athlete through the loud music, looking at me imploringly. "It's not like you guys are dating or something."

"He's my friend, and friends stick up for each other," I shot back, folding my arms defiantly. "Maybe you need to learn a lesson or two from him."

A brunette came behind Flash and wrapped her tiny arms around his bicep; I immediately recognized her as Beth, his girlfriend. She rolled her icy blue eyes at me. "Speak for yourself. No wonder why nobody likes you."

Clenching my fists and gritting my teeth, I turned sharply and stomped my way to the marble-floored kitchen. I leaned my head against the granite table and rubbed my temples, feeling the effects of a headache. Maybe I wasn't having the best time as I expected. Sighing, I looked at the time at the microwave screen.

**7:29**

_Perfect_, I thought sarcastically. _The night is still young. Maybe I should head home. Take a cab—_

"Alex~!" a familiar voice sang and I whipped my head to the direction of the voice. I found a drunken Joshua stumbling his way towards me, giggling like a mad man. Maybe he was already mad...

Soon I found his face inches away from mine and I detected the scent of beer from his breath. His eyes were huge, beaming wildly. Right between us was a red plastic cup he was holding, containing the strong liquid that could make your head spin. "Look what I found!" he exclaimed before breaking into another outbursts of giggles, slightly shaking the cup and spilling some of the beer onto his shirt.

I gently took the cup away from him, concerned for his well-being. "Josh, lay off the drinking. Take soda instead."

"Just take a small sip, Alex. It won't hurt."

I shook my head defiantly. "No way. Mom would kill me."

"A small sip!" he persisted.

"No thanks."

"Please? Pleeeeaaassseeee?!" he pressured and I started to get annoyed.

"Joshua," I said in a dangerous tone yet this didn't faze him.

"Take a bit and I'll stop."

Pursing my lips, I mulled it over a bit. I drank before but I stopped immediately when my head began getting dizzy. It's not like anybody would notice, well, besides Joshua. I'll go home extra early so mom won't notice; and wasn't she taking a double shift today? And what about that stupid quote that every hipster used now and then? YOLO? You only live once? Yeah, that was a good enough reason.

But it was a pretty bad desicion.

I gave in and took a rather big sip of the drink, the liquid burning my throat as it went down. I shuddered at the taste; it was something I haven't had in a long time. Joshua cheered at my "courage", gave me a bear hug, and skipped off to somewhere else. I relaxed by the kitchen by sitting on a wooden stool; it was quite peaceful here. That is if you subtract the loud electronic dance music exploding your eardrums.

And then I took another of the beer. And another. And another. The taste was quite repugnant but I couldn't get enough. It's like watching a really bad and corny soap opera or movie but you can't stop watching it. I was going to find a second helping, but some seniors came in with cigarettes and that's when I left.

I staggered my way to the living room and felt everything spinning around me. At first, I felt good and alive but now I just felt like puking my guts out. I clutched my nauseous stomach and took a deep breath, trying to relax. I crawled my way to a nearby bedroom but when I opened the door I found that it was occupied by a couple kissing intensely. As a matter of fact, it was Arielle and Ryan. The lurching pain in my stomach was gone and I began laughing at my red-faced, shocked and embarrassed friends, pointing at them and tried speaking but no words came out.

Arielle lowered her shirt that was up to her bra and approached me. "Get out!" she shrieked, mortified, before slamming the door right in front of me.

My next trip was to the bathroom, in which I found a buddy to um...regurgitate (if that's the right word)...with. I'll spare you the details...

Feeling somewhat better, I went to the living room again. And in a few minutes, I was doing karaoke and singing Justin Timberlake with Joshua, our off key and drunk singing echoing throughout the place. We attracted the attention of many people as they cheered us on, some even whistling at our talent. I'm not sure, but I saw a person recording us with his iPhone...he was laughing a lot...I wonder why...

"HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!" Joshua and I yelled through the microphone, finishing the famous Britney Spear's song. We laughed at each other before dramatically bowing to everyone. The crowd went wild but I don't think it was because of our performance. The floors were rattling as some pictures and photos on the wall were crashing down. Suddenly, I lost my balance and fell down from the coffee table I was standing on and hit my head against a couch.

Groaning, I slowly got up as my head pounded against my skull. Looking up, I saw some people frantically running everywhere. I heard screaming. _I_ was screaming as I heard a deafening roar burst my ears. The front entrance and door was long gone and I saw a tall figure of a man with a horn a few feet away from me, smoke billowing everywhere. I didn't need to look twice to know who it was. I felt a huge, dry lump in my throat as adrenaline and fear coursed in my blood. I backed away from him.

From the _Rhino_.

"WHO DARE RUNS AWAY FROM ME?" he bellowed, making my headache increase. Did anyone hear my rapid heartbeat as it pounded against my chest? Because I sure did.

The Rhino looked everywhere, scouring through every single person in the crowd. Who was he looking for? His beady eyes then looked at me and I felt my figure shudder under his gaze. "YOU! COME HERE!"

I scoffed at him. "Really? You think I'd do that?" I instantly regretted my words as he roared in anger and began charging towards me. With my eyes widening in fear, I ran to the bedroom I was in before and hid inside the closet. All I heard was screaming and yelling; my head spun around in circles and I felt so crowded in the tiny place I was in. All I wanted to do was curl up into a small ball and zone out from the world, where there were no superheroes and monsters. No parties and nobody else but me. There was just a black abyss.

What happened to Arielle? Joshua? Ryan? Were they okay or were they hiding in a tight spaced closet like me?

More shrill screams echoed through the house and I heard the distinct sound of a gunshot. It had to be a gunshot. What was happening out there? I was about to walk out of the closet but opted to staying here. I'd be safer...right?

Minutes turned to hours until I heard the loud dragging of footsteps as my breath increased rapidly. Tiny beads of sweat began forming on my forehead and I did my best to stop breathing so heavily. The footsteps came closer and I froze, unable to move. Paralyzed.

_It's him_, was the only thought that clouded my mind. _It's him, it's him. _

The only sound that blared my ears was my quick and out of tune heartbeat. He was getting closer. I hunched my shoulders up and buried my head between my knees, a feeling of despair washing over me. I couldn't remain strong; I was far from it. A single silent tear streaked down my cheek as I tried preventing the sobs racking through my body.

Slowly, the closet door clicked open and I exhaled and closed my eyes, expecting my fate. It was funny how quickly I gave up while others would fight for their lives. Yet you just couldn't fight a person like that.

Something brushed my arm and I flinched, scared of who it was. "I won't hurt you," whispered a familiar voice. Was that...?

Hesitating, I slowly lifted my head and saw the famous red masked person looking at me with those yellow glassy eyes. I hope that underneath them, it wasn't full of pity. Gently, he lifted me up as I stumbled into his suited chest, a sense relief coursing through me. My hands tightened around his waist and I breathed in the strange yet comforting smell of pine and sweat. I laughed hysterically, and I wondered if he thought I was crazy.

"You can let go now," Spider-Man chuckled and I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Sighing, I let go of his grasp and I shook my head in dizziness; I was really regretting that drink.

"Thanks," I whispered softly. Looking around, I saw the window and saw that it was night time. Crap. "Where, where is everybody?"

He folded his arms and looked at me with a hard gaze. "What, you don't run when you see a crazy rhino man destroying a house?"

I rubbed my temples before scoffing. "Haha."

"I'm serious. The cops are here and so are the news reporters. I'm surprised they haven't found you yet."

I only shrugged and let out a tired yawn. "What time is it?"

He took something out of his boot. I gaped at the small electronic, its screen flashing brightly against the dim lighted room. "You have a cellphone?!" I asked in disbelief.

"Spidey has a life you know," he said before laughing.

"Can I have your number?" I chimed in, wiggling my eyebrows jokingly.

"Sure. It's 1-800-Sexyman." I rolled my eyes and the masked hero then answered me correctly. It was 10:14. I hope mother wasn't home or else I'd be dead. Spider-Man must've seen my concern because he asked me for a ride. After a few minutes, I decided to accept his offer and soon I found myself outside of the house and my arms wrapped loosely around his neck.

I heard him let out a chuckle, feeling the rumble underneath his chest. "You're gonna have to wrap around more tightly. I won't bite."

Sighing, I did as told and closed my eyes; preparing for the fast winds. His arms snaked around my waist strongly and now I knew how the people who told me they got to ride with Spidey felt. They felt safe. Secure. And soon, I found my feet off the ground. For a few minutes, I hid my head in Spider-Man's chest, frightened to death. I thought that I was going to fall down or puke all over his suit. I mean, we were practically flying. Then I thought, _what type of girl gets a chance like this_? So with my small amount of self-encouragement, I slowly looked up to be greeted with bright lights and buildings around me.

At first I was shocked, the winds stinging against my rosy cheeks. But then, a small laugh escaped from my lips. I felt like I was soaring and that I would never fall down. It was like a dream or blur, far from reality. So then I began laughing gleefully.

"WHOOOOO!" I shouted with elated happiness as Spider-Man shot another silky web from his wrists. This was kind of fun. How did I decline this offer a week ago?

"You know, not many girls scream like that," he whispered into my ear. I could hear the amusement in his voice. "They all just hug me and hide their heads on my chest."

I snorted. "Well they're missing out."

"How much have been drinking?"

"Um, a cup or two," I admitted sheepishly and the headache came back again. I wasn't flat-out drunk; tipsy was a better word. But still...

I pursed my lips, trying to hold in the alcohol and slice of pizza I consumed earlier. I felt him shake his head, his grasp on me only tightening. "Don't you know how bad that stuff is?"

"Well it's my choice," I retorted as another gust of wind tangled and blew my wild hair. "You aren't my mother, aren't you?"

"Still, it's my duty to protect people. And to prevent death. Alcohol can do that," he stressed.

"Just please stay out of that area in my life," I said in frustration, narrowing my eyes angrily. He only shrugged as we continued passing through the city. I tried shouting happily during the ride but that moment was short-lived as we travelled on in silence. I wanted to apologize but didn't have the guts in me to do so. Man, I was such a coward...

We ended up on the roof of my apartment. As soon as my feet were greeted by the concrete, I laid down; not caring how dirty my clothes and hair would be. I sighed a breath of relief before uttering out a thanks.

"No problem," was all he said as he stared at the skyscrapers surrounding him. He seemed distant, like Spider-Man was in another world. His thinking made me realize something.

"Wait, how do you know where I live?"

"I'm your neighborly Spider-Man. I know where everybody lives. Plus, I may have followed you after last week's incident just to see if you were okay," he answered causally but I heeded a small hint of nervousness. It made me suspicious but I didn't press on it.

I then thought of the Rhino. How he attacked every single populous place in New York. And the way he looked at his victims, it was as if he was trying to choose them. Pick them apart...

"You know, I think the Rhino is trying to find someone," I said slowly after a few minutes.

"Huh?"

"Yeah," I said, feeling my eyes widening at the realization. "At the party, he was looking for someone before he saw me. He was looking for somebody alright."

"Do you really think so?" the masked hero asked, skepticism thick in his question.

I nodded before standing right by him. His eyes were fixed on me but I gazed upon the illuminated night sky. "I think so," I muttered before tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

A blare of sirens echoed throughout the bustling city. I looked down the streets to see at least four ambulances passing by. Spider-Man sighed tiredly as he stood on the edge of the roof. He mock saluted me and said, "Lay off the beer," before shooting a strand of webs and leaving me alone.

A yawn escaped me and I took out my cracked-screen phone to see that it was ten minutes till eleven. I trudged my way downstairs and then entered the house, praying that mother wasn't there. Instead, I found Andrew who was watching television. His eyes met mine and I saw that they were filled with fear. He suddenly ran towards my direction and tackled me in a bear hug. I staggered, startled by the gesture and slowly backed away to close the door. As soon as I did, he embraced me again.

"I thought…you were…" he breathed and I looked at him, his eyes brimmed with tears. He gasped before speaking again. "Why didn't…you call? You're lucky that…mom isn't back yet."

I stroked his soft brown hair before while he rested his chin on my shoulder. He reminded me of the little kid he was a few years ago. "Shhh," I soothed. "It's okay Andrew. I'm here, safe and sound."

"The news reporter," he said before pointing at the TV screen. "At the party you

went to. So many people got hurt." My thoughts immediately changed to my best friends. How could I easily forget them? Were they hurt?

"I know, but I'm okay. See?"

He sighed in relief and said, "I know." His nose then scrunched up in disgust as he took a whiff of me. Andrew's eyes widened. "Why do you smell like beer?"

My eyes narrowed at this. "If you mention one word to mom, I'll say to your little friends that you cried."

He rolled his eyes, wearing a smirk, and I was glad to see that my old Andrew was back. "Whatever. I wasn't going to anyway. Just take a bath. You smell like a homeless person."

I chuckled and headed to our small bathroom. "Sure I do," I drawled, my tone dripping with sarcasm. But I did smell pretty bad. After taking a long shower, I called my friends. Joshua was squeaking with relief that I was okay; he was alright besides a few bruises. Arielle and Ryan made it safely also, the trio speeding away in Ryan's Honda. They were all worried for me but I lied and said I took the subway; unable to find them. I felt like the meeting between Spidey and me was confidential and I wasn't planning on telling anyone. At all...

I called Peter but he didn't answer, so I left a voicemail. Hopefully he'd answer sooner or later.

I trudged to my bed, and I collapsed on top of it; my head hitting against the pillows. The usually rough fabric was now sinfully comfortable. Exhausted, I stretched my arms and legs while another yawn came out of my mouth. I hid under my purple comforters, my wet dripping hair all over the pillow I now rested on. My eyes slowly closed as I succumbed into a restless sleep, dreaming about a certain masked person.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry wasn't able to update sooner! I'm so busy with studying for finals and my teachers gave me four projects to work on, all due next week. Yay, what a great Memorial Day weekend! -_- **

**Anyway, I hope you guys have a great holiday! Please review, it would make me so happy! ;)**


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